Art in an Early Global World at WAM: A WAM/College of the Holy Cross CollaborationMain MenuAmanda Luyster17d39c1ecea88fb7ff282fe74a410b89478b8327Created by the Worcester Art Museum and the College of the Holy Cross, with the Worcester Public Schools AP Art History class of 2024. Financial support provided by the Medieval Academy of America and "Scholarship in Action" at Holy Cross.
Reclining cat, detail
1media/reclining cat, head_thumb.jpg2024-04-14T14:28:34-07:00Amanda Luyster17d39c1ecea88fb7ff282fe74a410b89478b8327448012Detail of Reclining Cat, made in greater Iran, 1100s or 1200s, 1949.20.plain2024-08-18T09:48:29-07:0020150616104925-0400Zoe Zimmer726b0bce27fe407b566d2fd9122871e9e9ddcf50
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1media/DP372046.jpg2024-03-28T13:31:14-07:00Who made the Reclining Cat?9image_header2024-12-29T19:12:47-08:00The creator of the reclining cat sculpture lived in the 1100s or 1200s in greater Iran, but we do not know their name. This anonymity is typical for craftsmen of the period, where individual recognition for such work was rare. The maker would have been a skilled artisan, likely working in a specialized workshop that produced metalwork. Such workshops were common in medieval Islamic cultures, where the techniques of metallurgy, inlay, and decorative inscriptions were passed down through generations. The artisan responsible for this piece would have been well-versed in these techniques, as well as the symbolic and aesthetic norms of the time. This craftsman would have operated within a guild or a community of artists that shared and upheld high standards of artistry, often under the patronage of the ruling class or wealthy merchants.
Audrey Wang, Class of 2025, College of the Holy Cross
